10 Powerful Benefits Of Daily Prayer

(Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 3:5-7)

Because
prayer is our communion with God, each time we approach the Lord through prayer,
our faith strengthens. God promises that He hears the prayers of His people (1
John 5:14). As we see God answer our prayers with both positive and negative
responses, our faith matures because we realize He is actively present in our
lives. Hannah’s prayer life in 1 Samuel 1-2 illustrates personal growth through
prayer.

2. Prayer Releases Anxiety 

(Psa 34:4; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter
5:6-7)

Jesus called the weak and weary to come to him for rest. When
the prophet Jeremiah felt overwhelmed by his task at hand he turned to the Lord
for renewal. It was through prayer that the prophet lamented, grieved, and found
strength to continue his ministry. Likewise, prayer is an avenue by which we may
share our heart to God and fully process everything that weighs down our spirit.

3. Prayer Deepens Fellowship with God

(Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Corinthians
2:9-13)

Through prayer, we learn the heart of our Heavenly Father.
King David, known as a man after God’s own heart recorded many of his prayers to
God in the Book of Psalms. Through not only our own expression of faith, but
also in the times of stillness, we are able to deepen the depth of our
relationship with the Lord.

4. Prayer Connects Us with Other
Believers 

(Luke 22:31-32; Ephesians 3:14-21; 1 John
5:15-16)

Scripture encourages us to pray with others and for others.
When the early Church gathered together in fervent prayer for Peter after he was
imprisoned, an angel rescued him from his chains (Acts 12). Stories continue to
be told today of how God miraculously answers the faithful prayers of his
people. We must never cease praying with and for our brothers and sisters in the
faith; for it is through prayer that God continues to transform the
world.

5. Prayer Brings Us Towards Forgiveness 

(2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 John 1:9; Matthew
5:44).

Not only is confession good for the soul, but it is necessary
to receive forgiveness for our sins from God. When we confess our sins to God
through prayer, He forgives us of our sins and our relationship with Him is
restored. Similarly, when we have a grievance with another, it is through prayer
that we can find the power in Christ to forgive them. We see Jesus illustrate
this forgiveness on the cross in Luke 23:34. When we turn our heart in prayer,
we are able to not only repent and receive forgiveness, but offer forgiveness to
others in return.

6. Prayer Helps Us Discern and Accept God’s
Will 

(Lamentations 3:25; Philippians 1:9; Colossians
1:9)

When Jesus’ disciples asked him how to pray, one part of his
prayer was to ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Through
this petition, we learn the importance of discerning and accepting God’s will
for our lives. By communing with God, we avail ourselves to submit to His
authority. After Jesus wrestled in prayer at Gethsemane, he was ready to suffer
the cross because he knew it was his cup to bear. For us, when we seek the Lord,
peace comes at the knowledge of His will.

7. Prayer Helps Us Adopt an
Attitude of Gratefulness 

(Colossians 4:2; Hebrews 13:5)

The Bible
encourages believers to approach God with an attitude of praise and
thanksgiving. We are to recognize Him for who He is and what He has done for us.
In doing so, we bring honor to the Lord. We also learn to adopt a positive
mindset. The Apostle Paul is a testimony of someone who observed a lifestyle of
gratefulness. No matter the circumstances, his contentment was based on his
identity in Christ and the freedom of forgiveness. This gratefulness permeated
every area of his life. When we recognize through prayer how God has worked in
our lives, we begin to become more grateful in other areas of our lives as
well.

8. Prayer Gives Us Wisdom

(1 Chronicles 1:10; Psalm 32:8; Jeremiah 33:3; James
1:5).

The book of James states that wisdom is a free gift to anyone
who asks God. King Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom and he was the wisest man
who ever lived. Yet, as we learn from Solomon, to obtain wisdom is not enough.
We must then live by wisdom. When we are in continual prayer with God, we
receive a perpetual flow of wisdom and guidance.

9. Prayer Helps Us
Set Our Minds on God 

(Jeremiah 29:13; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:2;
Philippians 3:13-14)

The more time we spend with God and focus on
Him, the more it will translate into our daily lives. In a world that advocates
everything that is against God, as believers, we can use prayer to remind us of
all God has done for us in the past and all God has promised to do for us. The
prayer of Habakkuk 3 illustrates this mindset.

10. Prayer Helps Us
Combat Pride 

(2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 6:1-5)

James 4:6
states that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. When we go to
God in prayer, our attitude should be one of humility because we recognize the
greatness of His glory and the gratefulness of our grace. In so doing, we learn
to combat the pride that wells up within us. The story of the prayers of the tax
collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18 shows how God honors humility. When it is
tempting to place ourselves first, an active prayer life can help us have a
proper perspective.

God as our Heavenly
Father deeply desires for us to walk with Him. Through Christ’s sacrifice
on the cross, we have been given access by faith through him. Prayer is a
primary tool for us to draw closer to God and understand Him
better.

[written by Cortney Whiting]